Frozen Feelings
by neoenergy
Summary: Solving a case with a little help from Grissom
1. Prelude

Frozen feelings part 2 Friends and Family  
  
Douglas Black was whistling while he drove his big black Mack on highway 45. His CB crackled with voices, Red Dog and some other truckers were on air. Red Dog was one of his partners who also was on road to different places in the State. Staring happily at the road ahead he thought about his sweetheart Becca , whom he married for 3 years now, she was expecting her first baby. While he focused his eyes on her picture stuck on his dashboard, he got a warm feeling all over.  
  
"CQ, CQ, Black Cat, are you out there?" a voice said from his CB. It was Red Dog aka Slim Jones one of his partners calling him. Douglas squinted his eyes while soft warm rays of sunrise caught him in the face from the horizon ahead. Slid his sunglasses in front of his eyes down from his head.. He picked up de CB mike which was mounted above his head while he perfectly controlled his big truck, one hand at the wheel. "Roger that Dog, what's the fire?" he answered.  
  
"Yodieeee, Cat, been awhile I heard from you partner, look at your spy, see that beauty?" Dog howled. Cat looked out at his rearview out on the left from his cab, yes sir, it was a beauty, Dogs cab was just riding a few meters behind him, behind the wheel a broad smiling cowboy. " Dogman, lookin' good dude" Douglas answered and smiled .  
  
"Got my eyes on another beauty myself" Douglas said. "Yeh! Where?" Dog answered, and knowing Dog he was looking around the road ahead, to see if there was some pretty baby in a sportscar somewhere. Douglas chuckled, Dog was funny sometimes, and chaotic, looked a lot like Jim Carrey Douglas thought, but was a real pal.  
  
"Hide your tail doggie, I mean Becca" Doug said smiling. "O, yeah, I know.. Dude!" He saw that Dogs cab was swirling a bit from left to right behind him. Watch it dude! Douglas thought.  
  
"Any news about the baby?" Dog said. "Yep, expecting really soon, maybe today's the day!" Doug replied.  
  
"Yihaaaaa, mighty fine!" Dog yelled. "Call me Uncle Dog!" Douglas smiled while traffic was becoming more busy, they were nearing the city. "Would make me proud, dude, would make me proud!" He replied, smiling .  
  
"Heard from Wolf by chance?" he asked Dog. Dog made a howling sound and replied "Not since 2 days ago, told me he needed a vacation, going to the Bahamas he told me". "Bahamas?" Doug asked surprised.  
  
He pictured Wolf in only shorts, tanned, beer belly hanging to his knees, sitting in a beach chair hula girls all around a beer in his hands. Burping. A stranded whale."Not his style dude, really he told you that?" Doug said. "Yessiree, even showed me the ticket". "Asked me to look after his kid Jenny, boy, this little missy is a real pain in the neck, I hate teens, but I am her godfather!"  
  
"What about his grandmother he's living with, does she agree?" Douglas asked. "You mean granny Smith and Weston,? They both chuckled. "That tough old broad, ex Cop now lawyer? Hell, heard from him she doesn't want to take any part any more of the family, took off to Washington. Probably joined the FBI by now!"  
  
"Strange?" Douglas answered, he had known granny Smith since kindergarten, she would be around her sixties now. A real tough lady. Husband got killed in the line of duty, also a cop. A real family lady, liked everything neat and clean and at order. You did not dare to get in trouble with her, see looks small and fragile but she could hit you like Ali. Wham, first round, K.O. Seemed to master every martial art known to man and animal kingdom. Even taught us some moves when we were children, but she was to fast for us, even until this day Doug think. We sometimes joked about her and gave her the name Granny Smith and Weston, Rambo take a hike.  
  
For awhile Dog and Cat talked about their younger years together, things they did together and things they did not , and laughed about them. Douglas told Dog he would drop by later today. Dog had to take a different turn in the city to his house to catch up some sleep. Douglas on the other hand had to pick up a load in a local warehouse in Jefferson street, computer components and stuff. Take the load to another local store on the other side of town, it wasn't a long ride and he had taken this job to earn a few extra bucks. Becca was on his mind and this beautiful blond was smiling at him from the photograph stuck to the dashboard in front of him.  
  
In the meanwhile on the other side of town a man was walking on the road nearing its rim. The brown jacket he wore was torn on its elbows, his white shirt hung loose outside his pants but it seemed not to bother him. His hair fell wild in front of his face which had a far and distant look on it, eyes staring into nothing. On the left side of his head his hair seemed to stick to a bloody wound like in strawberry jam. Walking like a zombie, arms along his sides, hands clenched to fists, he could barely keep on his feet, his left foot was bare, there was no shoe on it. The laces of the shoe on his other foot were loose. He almost stumbled down because of them, but was able to keep on his feet; this swaggering figure on the road, passing cars did not bother to notice him. Probably another drunk they thought.  
  
A tear dropped down his left eye.  
  
Dog parked his Mack behind his little white condo, the house wasn't big and not small. But it was a nice house, he had bought it from an elderly couple a year ago. It had a small garden in front surrounded by a middle high white wooden fence chalked down with graffiti done by neighboring kids. The graffiti wasn't ugly it gave the fence a colorful look. It didn't bother Dog, these were the suburbs dude. Don't holler but color.  
  
When he walked towards his front door coming from behind the house a strange smell caught his nose.  
  
'What the hell!' he thought was there something burning? He got up to the door and noticed that it was not in the lock, it stood halfway open, someone was inside! Carefully while standing on his porch he pushed the door completely open with his right hand, without taking any more steps. The smell now grew stronger; he took little steps and slowly got into the house. When he was inside he heard music coming from his room at the back. This door too was half open. He carefully approached the rooms' door. Stood still and listen for awhile. Then in a quick leap he pushed it open and held up his fists in a defensive stance, learned it from granny Smith he thought.  
  
"Who's there he shouted!" quickly looking around in the room. What he saw did not surprise him that much.  
  
On the bed there lay his godchild Jenny, smoking pot! Headphones clasped on her ears. She startled and it nearly looked like she wanted to jump up right at the ceiling. Her eyes gasped in wild surprise!  
  
"Shitting monkeys!" she yelled. And she rolled of the bed, right in the lap of someone who seemed to be sitting right next to it on the floor.  
  
Dog stared at both the girls half angry half surprised, the two teens were barely dressed, only wore panties and what looked like a tank top. "What the hell is this, Jenny..?" He shouted not noticing he still got his fists up. The two girls started to giggle.  
  
Pot roast.  
  
"O , its only the dog" Jenny giggled, her girlfriend giggled too."Here doggie, doggie". She said trying to make a whistling sound, they both were rolling around over eachother on the floor screaming with laughter.  
  
Dog lowered his arms, and put them to his sides shaked his head.  
  
"I don't know if you are aware, but your panties are burning" he said and directly looked at Jenny's girlfriend and pointed at his right hip.Huh! They both stopped laughing for a moment stared at eachother, stupefied, Jenny's girlfriend than looked down at her hip.  
  
"Omigod, damn shit!" she yelled. Her panties really were on fire, a hole was burning! While Jenny had fallen from the bed her joint must have touched her girlfriends panties. Both girls were screaming like witnessing a Back Street Boys concert, front row.  
  
Dog now broke out in a huge laughter, tears nearly broke from his eyes. While he stepped out off the room he heard the girls were slapping each other or at least trying to slap out the burning panty. No giggling anymore but cussing at eachother.  
  
"Shit brains, Slut" he heard them shouting at each other. Dog now really had tears coming from his eyes, this looked so funny he thought. No joint better than this.  
  
The man swaggering down the street suddenly stood still, he lifted his head up to the sky, eyes still empty. For a moment he squinted with his eyes, staring at the sun that was shining above the building he was standing at.  
  
GRISSWOLD COMPUTER COMPONENTS the name of the store said, he put a hand to his head, mumbled something, looked up again his lips were trembling. 'can't rememerber?'he thought.'must remember?' 'Remember?' ...he kept staring at the name of the store.  
  
He stood there a lonely statue. People who were passing him by stared for a moment. 'Wino' they mumbled, and were shaking their heads.  
  
Dog sat at his kitchen table, the girls were quiet now. Fire was out probably.  
  
The bedroom door was closed. He remembered the time when Jenny was a little girl, always playing with barbies. When she was six and he had to babysit her, he once caught her setting barbies hair on fire,  
  
"Barbie wants black hair!" he had heard her say with that little kiddy voice when he asked her why she did it.  
  
Now she was growing up to be women, although she only was fourteen. He loved her very much, like she was his own daughter. But she also remembered him of his little sister Jennifer-Marie who was killed in a fatal car accident together with his fiancée Elizabeth. Wolf had named his daughter after his sister in her honor, that was very nice of Wolf, Dog thought. He sighed, took a sip from the beer he held, he also missed Elizabeth so much. Damn this crazy world he thought, why do we have to loose so many loved ones in this life? Sometimes it 's just not fair.  
  
He took another sip, swallowed. Wiped away a tear. The bedroom door opened, he looked up and saw Jenny walking towards him. She looked ashamed; she stood next to him at the table.  
  
"Fire's out?" Dog asked. "Yeh" Jenny said softly.  
  
"I am so ashamed, Dog "she continued, half looking at Dog. Dog looked at her and put his hand under her chin, tilting her head. He was now looking her straight in the eyes.  
  
"I will never understand teenagers, especially women teenagers" he said. Jenny bowed over to him and put her arms around him, she kissed him on the forehead. Dog sighed and kissed her back on her cheek.  
  
"Never forget that family is really important, they may hurt you sometimes, but all that really matters is that they are your family!" "Now, get dressed and we will get some pizza, and will your girlfriend come along, what's her name?"  
  
Jenny looked at Dog and said Pyra.  
  
"Pyra?" Dog asked.  
  
"As from pyromaniac?" They both began to laugh, just at that moment Pyra came out of the bedroom with a shy look on her face. "It really hurts a bit " she said, and Jenny and Dog saw that she had taped what seemed like a tampon to her hip on the burned spot. Jenny chuckled.  
  
"Come on let's first see a doctor, Dog said". 


	2. On the edge

Disclaimer. All characters, except Grissom, are fictional, as are the names of towns and places mentioned. Any resemblance to existing people or places is totally coincidental.  
***Revised February 6, 2003, I thank everybody who wrote a R/R, already have some great plans to continue the story. I can tell you that this chapter and the one called "Family" indeed are parts of a greater whole. Upcoming chapters will become more comic and action packed. (I don't hope I disappoint readers who more like angst) "On the edge" and "Family" are more of introductions to which characters will play major roles in the continuing story. ***  
Frozen feelings part 1 on the edge  
  
Somewhere on route 9, outside Duchess Town, around 21:00 PM  
  
The night was dark and cold; he had not slept very well the day before. His hands felt numb on the steering wheel, as if he held on to a rubber hose with wet fingers. Grissom could not get this feeling out of his head. The first day he got to work after Christmas everyone he talked to, Cat, Warrick, Sara and Nick, they all seemed so different to him.  
  
As if they were strangers. While he drove further into the night, the cars that passed by looked like strange lines of light connected to dark invisible bodies. His mind was a blur. He had seen too many bodies, torn and ripped, mutilated on the weirdest places, in the strangest positions.  
  
"Everything alright Griss?"  
  
Were the last words he remembered spoken to him, who had said it, he could not remember any more.  
  
He drove on instinct with no certain destination on mind.  
  
It has been a week now since he took off for leave from the bureau. His colleagues all thought that he was visiting a relative somewhere in Mississippi.  
  
It had all started when they found 2 little kids, 3 and 4 years of age. Dumped, into a garbage bin. Thrown away like two old dolls. Not to be used anymore. Just to rot away. Useless.  
  
Since that day Grissom found it needful to take a few weeks of. Needed space alone to contemplate.  
  
But all this time the two dead kids were haunting him. It was as if somebody was beating him with a pillow, in front, on top and on both sides of his head. Not a soft feeling but as if the pillow was filled with cold, almost frozen water. Cold and ruthless, annoying.  
  
He felt his hands shaking and realized that he drove too slowly, but not that slow! He gave an abrupt yank on his steering wheel to the right; the cars behind him honked and flashed their lights.  
  
The one directly on his rear pulled his breaks in a loud shriek, in a flash he saw the driver cussing at him with angry eyes behind his wheel before he took up speed again with shrieking tires.  
  
Grissoms car came to a hold but what he didn't realized was that he almost had made a 180 degree spin, and that the road ahead became the road behind.  
  
He put his head on the wheel and was heavily breathing, his heart was pounding fast, he felt like passing out.  
  
'Out of this car!" he thought, "must get out of this car!".  
  
He shifted his body to the left side to the door, forgot his belt, nervously got it off, but when he opened the door he felt the car wobble, his instincts told him to pull his leg back in.  
  
"Omigod!"  
  
In the seconds that he had put his leg outside he didn't feel solid ground! And the corners of his eyes only caught gawking darkness!  
  
"Omigod!" his car was balancing on the edge!  
  
His blood raced through his body, gasping for air, his mouth felt dry like after smoking too much cigarettes. But he had given up smoking for how long he did not remember any more.  
  
God he really had the need to have a drink right now, the cool taste of water, feel its wetness dripping along his chin and neck. The image of the two mutilated kids kept on lingering in his mind. To him it seemed like an eternity that he lay there on his right side covering both seats of his car his head almost touching the handle of the passengers' seat.  
  
His car dangling on the border of life and death. He realized that he only had to sit up into the drivers' side and let gravity do his business.  
  
Every case he ever before witnessed, never had been as gruesome as this case, they called it "the case of the Siamese twins" at office. Details of the crime scene flashed through his head.  
  
Two kids bundled up together like they where tied up in a knot, like they where embracing each other as if they were searching protecting in each others arms, and, My god those eyes! They spoke of some much fear; staring, deprived of all live, hollow like charcoal.  
  
After a while Grissom came to his senses again and had to think how he would get himself out of this mess.  
  
Slowly he tucked in both legs until he was in fetal position; carefully he shoved his whole body to the passengers' side until he felt his back touching the car door. He felt a cool breeze in his neck it was not from fear but the wind blowing through a slit from the window produced by the cars that were passing by.  
  
He felt the car wobble, sucked in air in heavy breaths, and desperately searched with both his hands behind his back for the door handle. A light panic overtook him; he could not find the handle!  
  
Damn it!  
  
The car seemed to wobble more heavily, his feet slipped from the passengers seat and a shoelace from his left foot got stuck to something in the drivers seat!  
  
'Hell!" Never will wear shoes with laces again he cursed to himself!  
  
Finally he got grip on the door handle he moved it aside.  
  
"Damn it!" The door was locked!  
  
Nervously again and again he pulled at it, feeling the car really slipping underneath him, inch by inch.  
  
In a quick move he turned his body, so he could look at the door behind him. In a flash his left hand grabbed the door bolt, unlocked the door, pushed his body through the door that gave way.  
  
The car was still slipping away underneath his body; his shoelace still was caught to that damn something from the seat!  
  
He felt his left foot jerking at his whole body, the car made a strange sound; the starry night sky was above him.  
  
Like a diver he jumped to that sky, there was a cracking sound and his left foot went cold. Felt pain.  
  
The last thing he remembered was that his head hit the hard cold road. A cars break shrieked. Then everything went black... 


	3. Victims

,***Notice: in the first 2 chapters you were introduced to the main characters of the story. I am still revising some parts of the previous 2 stories to make it more solid. (they perhaps seem not quite whole, I try to do my best to make it more solid), R/R are always welcome, a story can always become better! Tell me the truth about how you find them for the time being!) *** To get back to my ideas about it, the chapters I have in development will become more action packed, hope you will enjoy Thanx for reading.  
Frozen feelings part 3: Victims  
  
8:00 PM, somewhere in the centre of Duchess Town  
  
A hand was wiping away the damp that had formed itself on the inside of the car window.  
  
The car was totally black, a high 4 WD Mitsubishi, the man inside lit a cigarette. For a moment his face was seen, dark long hair tied in a ponytail, a hawk-like nose, piercing dark eyes. He blew the smoke at the window, which drifted away like clouds over an open sea. Like a messenger, telling bad weather was coming. He was staring outside, eyes dark as a tar pit, observing any movement seen outside. A hunter waiting for his prey. The engine started with a smooth vibrating sound. Hands clutching the wheel, covered in tight black leather gloves.  
  
He sucked at the cigarette again, blew smoke out again this time to the front car window, he put the cigarette in the ashtray, his mouth forming an "o" then a satanic smile. Creeping into the dark night. He had waited long enough, it was time to strike.  
  
Hello money..  
  
On the other side of town  
  
It was about 9:30 pm in. There were almost no cars on the road. Douglas finally made his last trip, delivering the last boxes he had collected from Edmonds, a local warehouse belonging to his employer, from which he had loaded in 80 boxes to be distributed to 5 different computer stores in Duchess Town and neighbouring villages.  
  
"Lets see". He mumbled in himself.  
  
Looking at the delivery list holding it to his cabin lamp, which did not gave that much light. He held the paper closer to the light, made slits of his eyes, looking at the list.  
  
"Braddock , Dolan, Evans, euh, Frippick, strange name for a computer store?", he thought by himself and scratched his head, at first he had not noticed this, because he really wanted to get home after this last delivery, eager to see Becca again. He was getting tired. He ran his fingers along the list and tapped on the last name.  
  
"Griswold, yep Griswold!", he finally saw the name now clearly, putting the list down, shifted in gear, the truck began to move.  
  
"16 boxes coming up mister Griswold " he said to himself. The store was just a few blocks away, he drove into the right street, saw the sign of the store approaching him hanging above the store, like a long lost friend. He smiled.  
  
He drove further into the free loading zone in an alley on the left side of the building. Eagerly he jumped out of the truck, walked to the door where a notice board saying 'ring for delivery' pointing towards a button. He pushed it 3 times, but did not hear any ringing. Just as he wanted to push it again, the door opened and a hand in glove appeared on the doors edge that pushed it open.  
  
A little man stepped outside, and the first thing Douglas noticed was this big grey cap he was wearing, which seemed a little too big for the mans head, with a big red letter G on it. The next thing Douglas saw was a big bright smile on a friendly Asian face.  
  
"Mister Griswold?" Doug asked a bit surprised.  
  
"No,no, no, my name is Jackie Chen, the store clerk" the man answered. Putting 2 fingers to the side of his head, like boy scouts do then again looked at Doug with that warm smile. Doug grinned and in a reflex wanted to ask him if he was family of that other Chan, the movie star, but his eyes caught the nametag the man was wearing. 'Chen', spelled with an E.  
  
"Delivery 2204, 16 boxes from Edmonds?" the man suddenly asked, looking at Doug patiently.  
  
"Euh, yep, 16 boxes, computer components" Doug replied still with a dumb grin on his face, handing over the delivery list. The clerk reminded Doug of his economics teacher from high school back in 1988, mister 'Yamada' who was Japanese, Doug had been close friends with his son. But after a year following his lessons, they detected that mister Yamada had cancer, and that he hadn't much time left. Doug never heard from him again, or his son. Maybe he should make a call sometimes see how he's doing.  
  
"Lets get this crap, unloaded!" mister Chen suddenly said, Doug snapped out of his thoughts gave mister Chen a big smile and followed the man to the back of his truck and they began unloading it.  
  
Tired unloading this last delivery, Doug drove away and waved goodbye to Mister Chen, who again tipped 2 fingers to his head smiling brightly. Doug's mind pondered again to high school, he really should get in contact with Mike Yamada again, ask how his father was, if he was still alive. Mike was one of those friends that came around rarely, just like Dogman. There must be a way to recover an address or something.  
  
When he wanted to turn the truck around the corner out of the alley, he suddenly heard a strange thumping sound in the back of his truck. 'Did we forget something unloading?' he thought. He quickly stepped on the breaks. Again he heard the sound.  
  
"What the hell!" quickly he jumped out of the truck, to the back, unlocked the doors.  
  
A strange man, hair all wild, shirt out of his pants stood there in the door opening. Doug's mouth fell open, with big eyes he stared at the man. He also noticed that this guy only wore one shoe. His left foot was bare!  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
Outside St James, Duchess Town's general hospital, around 10:00 PM  
  
Three figures were strolling out of St James, the 2 girls, Jenny and Pyra were walking side to side. Jenny's arm was wrapped around Pyra. She was silently crying.  
  
A few steps in front of them Dogman was walking. Luckily, Pyra only had a third degree burn, she will survive. But it will leave a scar on her hip. Dogman wanted to get home soon, Douglas promised to drop by before going home himself to Becca. The both of them wanted to drink a few brewskies and chat for awhile, before hitting the sheets.  
  
When he wanted to cross the street to his car, standing almost halfway on the street Dogman suddenly heard the roar of a car coming from the left side on the street. He turned his head and 'Whoosh' it sounded, headlights blinded him in surprise. Just in time he could jump aside, landing in a nearby bush. It all happened in a flash.  
  
Dogman struggled to get out of the bush, his feet were in the air, and his head and mouth were full of leaves. It wasn't a strong bush. He cursed, trying to raise his middle finger, but fell out of the bush down on his butt.  
  
"Asshole!" he cursed, while rubbing leaves out of his hair, spitting leaves out of his mouth. The 2 girls came running to him.  
  
"Are you all right, Dogman?" they both asked worried in choir.  
  
"Did you get his freaking plates, damn!" he cussed, rubbing his butt with both hands with pain in his eyes.  
  
"To dark to see his plates, looked like a black car to me" Jenny said hastily, while she crouched down next to Dogman who was sitting on the grass, and she pulled leaves out of his hair. Irritated he slapped her hands away.  
  
"What!" Jenny said with a loud voice.  
  
"Damn it, what's this?" She heard Dogman saying with a freaky voice. He stood up looked down at the back of his jeans, sniffed and made a disgusted face than looked at his hands. The 2 girls also started to look at his behind, then at his hands.  
  
"Yuck!" they said in choir  
  
There was brownish goo dripping from Dogmans hands.  
  
"Looks like shit!" Pyra almost said snorting, hiding her mouth in her hands. Jenny also had to hide a laugh. Then they both looked at each other and began to giggle.  
  
Dogman looked from one girl to the other than back to his both hands, arms stretched in front of his body.  
  
"Shitting monkeys!" This made the 2 girls brake out in laughter.  
  
Back.Nearby Grisswold's  
  
"Hey buddy tell me what are you doing in my truck?" Douglas yelled.  
  
"You scared the hell out of me!" he stared at the man.  
  
The man could barely keep on his feet, he was swaggering a bit. Douglas noticed this and felt a bit sorry. He helped him down from the truck. The man sat down on the ground, raised a hand to his head  
  
"Ouch!" he touched the wound on his head. Douglas kneeled down and took a better look at where he had touched his head.  
  
"Is that a wound on your head, mister? Trouble with your wife, or did somebody robbed you?" Douglas asked worried.  
  
"Don't know.. what happened, was cold. Got into. truck" the man spoke in broken sentences.  
  
Douglas sat down next to grissom, who looked very exhausted.  
  
The man sat there holding his head in his hands and seemed like crying. Douglas felt very sorry for the guy. Wearing only one shoe, clothes ripped at knees and elbows.  
  
"Tell me man, what were you doing there inside my truck?" while Douglas stood up again leaning to the back of the truck, eyes still focused on the man.  
  
"Don't know...Dark.was cold.cannot remember?" grissom said while shaking his head, shivering, then suddenly looked straight up at Douglas. Their eyes connected.  
  
Douglas sighed, did not know how to react when he saw the lost and helpless look on his face. Remembering him of his own dad, the last time he had seen him, when he decided to leave his parents house when he was 18. All kids out of the house now. He missed his dad, and his mum!  
  
"Let us get out of here, no use to stay sitting here, your wound looks very ugly man!"  
  
"Its late and its cold and I am hungry, let us get you to a doctor!" Douglas claimed.  
  
He helped him up and they both got into the truck. Grissom walked as if he was drunk. His legs felt like pudding. Douglas put him in the sleeping compartment in the back of the cabin, got behind the wheel, and looked over his shoulder while he got behind the wheel. When he turned to look again he heard the man snoring like a cat.  
  
Douglas smiled." Poor bastard!" he thought. "What is this world coming to?"  
  
He put into gear and slowly as if he did not wanted to wake his passenger, pulled up the road and headed for county hospital.  
  
Two hours later, while waiting in the visitors room.  
  
A doctor walked up to Douglas, who was sitting holding yesterdays newspaper. He was not really reading it, but was thinking about the man he found, that he was wearing only one shoe puzzled him and the man also strongly reminded him of his dad. He put down the paper stood up and looked up in wonder.  
  
"You are the man who brought John Doe in?" the doctor said while holding out a hand to shake Douglas' hand. Saying his name was doc Blotter.  
  
Douglas stood up, and cleared his throat. "Yes, Douglas Black, I found him".  
  
"Mister Black, I have to tell you that your friend is very lucky, he has a severe concussing to the left side of his head, with some broken bones in his hands and a twisted left ankle, but he will survive!" the doctor said with a sincere smile.  
  
Douglas was glad and nodded smiling, noticed that he still held on to the doctor's hand. Doctors always made him feel uncomfortable the last time he was in a hospital was when his parents had the accident and the doctor brought him the bad news. He let go of his hand. The doctor nodded.  
  
"Nice to hear Doc, but what will happen to him, I mean, I do not know his name, I found him in the back of my truck while delivering, he did not have any ID on him or something, what are you going to do with him?"  
  
"You have to know that every day there are anonymous people brought in to this hospital, heck, to every hospital as far as I know, the police will question him as soon as he feels better, or a relative will pop up and contact us. Don't worry, he is in good hands!" Doctor Blotter replied.  
  
Douglas felt relieved, after he found the man he felt some sort of connection to him as if he knew him somehow. His mother always told him, that ever since he had been a kid, he had a gift to draw people around him that would become very close friends. Just like the Dogman and the Wolfman. He had been a friend with them since kindergarten.  
  
"Yeah, right Doc, but would you give him my name and address, soon as he is feeling better?" "May he ever want to know who brought him here, so he could buy me drink sometime to thank me?" Douglas said a little jokingly, smiling.  
  
The doctor looked surprised, while Douglas handed him a piece of paper with name and address. Doc looked at it. A smile came on his face.  
  
"Sure, I make sure he gets it!" "I, really appreciate your concern for other people, not many people who would do so, Mister Black!" The doctor said, while shaking Douglas' hand patting him on the shoulder, and thanked him.  
  
Douglas saw him hurrying away, because his pager began to beep, a nurse approached him and spoke to him with hastily concern. Off he was.  
  
He stood there for awhile, in thoughts, and then slowly walked away to the exit of the hospital. He remembered that he promised Dogman to drop by after his last delivery. He looked at his watch, it was almost 23:30, hope Dogman is still up.  
  
(Douglas did not know that Dogman and the two girls had been at the same hospital an hour before him!)  
  
He took up his pace when he was outside. A few minutes later he drove into the street where Dogman lived.  
  
Meanwhile inside Dogmans house..  
  
Shooting was heard. The two girls where snuggled up on the sofa watching a rerun of 'Terminator 2', Arnie was just about shooting his shotgun empty at the truck riding over the bridge, eating popcorn the girls were giggling at each other. Dogman was busy in the bathroom, scrubbing his hands in the sink, now and then looking in the mirror disgusted. His hands totally covered in soap, again and again he soaped them in until his hands saw red after he rinsed them.  
  
Douglas rapped on the door, Dogman had no doorbell. He knocked again. He heard the loud sound of the tv and the giggling.  
  
"Come on people!" he shouted and knocked again. Finally someone opened, a girl with red flaming hair, put her head around the door looked at Douglas in distrust, it was Pyra.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, looked at him with a brutal face.  
  
"Who are you missy, what are you doing in Dogmans house?  
  
Douglas pushed the door aside, Pyra almost fell backwards into the house.  
  
"Hey, I did not ask you in creep!" she yelled.  
  
"Hold your horses!" Doug replied and kept on walking in.  
  
"Dogman!" he yelled.  
  
"Cat!" Jenny screamed. And jumped up from the sofa, ran to him, and flung herself around his neck. Began covering him with kisses. It took Douglas by surprise. Pyra first looked surprised, but then began to giggle.  
  
"Is that your boyfriend?" She asked curious. Douglas and Jenny both looked at Pyra in surprise.  
  
Jenny let go of Douglas and gave Pyra the middle finger. Douglas smiled. Pyra stuck out her tongue.  
  
"Fool. This is my favorite uncle, Uncle Douglas!" she yelled.  
  
Pyra, had her hands on her hips, wiggling them. Some popcorn was sticking on her hair and t-shirt.  
  
"How the hell was I supposed to know, fine girlfriend you are!"  
  
Jenny raised her head to the sky stretched out both arms, palms up, as if she expected rain to fall down, than pointed eagerly to her head, looking childishly at Pyra, Pyra ran her hand through her hair, plucked the popcorn out of it. Looked at it. Gave a ooh. Put the popcorn in her mouth.  
  
Looked at Jenny than at Douglas.  
  
"Nice!" she said, popcorn cracking in her mouth.  
  
"What the hell is going on in here, what's all that screaming?" someone yelled.  
  
Dogman ran into the room, almost stumbled over a pillow lying on the floor; saw the three of them standing there. The two girls turned their heads to him, gazed with dumb smiles on their faces.  
  
On Douglas' face a brought smile appeared.  
  
Dogman had wrapped his head in a towel; he looked like an Arabian sheikh, only, without beard.  
  
The two girls and Douglas began to laugh.  
  
Dogman stood there, upper body naked, in white shorts that were too wide for his skinny figure, shaking his head, the turban bobbed.  
  
"What?" he said.  
23:48, somewhere underground, a secret place.  
  
Computer screens were flashing; people were talking to each other standing close next to each other holding papers, showing each other papers pointing at what was written. Debating or arguing. Some were bending over a big glass table pushing little things back and forth. Nodding at each other. Their voices filled the room. They all wore black or grey suits, or skirts, women and men. The floor they walked on showed the letters spelling S..U.M..A. Everywhere in the building there was action.  
  
In an office isolated from the busy man and women, located on a higher level, a man sat at a table in the centre of the room staring at the screen of his laptop before him, the screen flashed. Next to him a woman sat listening what he was saying. The woman was in her fifties or sixties, but looked very determined and noble, her long gray hair was bond in a knot on her back, she wore a black cap with the grey letters spelling SUMA on it. She kept on nodding to everything the man said.  
  
Finally she stood up. She put a hand on the shoulder of the man sitting there. She sighed.  
  
"No Pizza today!" she said. Her face revealed a faint smile.  
  
Walked away from the man, who closed his laptop. The room darkened.  
  
She left the building, doors closing behind her.  
Back at Dogmans house...0:04.  
  
Dogman was sitting across Douglas at the kitchen table; Dogmans hair was free from his turban, still a bit hanging down his face. Both were sipping at a beer.  
  
"Sure looked funny, that towel!" Douglas laughed, and belched.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, make a fool out of me!" Dogman replied. Wiped away the hair out of his face.  
  
"Who is this man you were telling me about, you found in your truck? "You brought him to hospital?"  
  
"Me and the girls were there too tonight, around 22:30 did not see you?"  
  
"I came in later" Douglas replied.  
  
"Why were you there?' Doug asked curiously.  
  
"One of the girls, burned herself, with a joint, but she will survive"  
  
"Who, Jenny? Douglas asked with a grin on his face.  
  
"Isn't her style, barbies are more her style?" He said while he took a sip of his beer.  
  
"No, her new girlfriend Pyra, on her hip" Dogman replied.  
  
"Stupid please to get burned?" Douglas said. Belched.  
  
"What kind of a name is that anyway, is her father a fireman or something?"  
  
"Don't know, just met the kid today, I will ask Jenny about her" Dogman took another beer out of the fridge, looked at Douglas, held up another bottle, but Douglas nodded no.  
  
"But about that guy, you know I have a strange feeling about him, he reminds me of someone!"  
  
"Someone I know too, taxman maybe?" Dogman joked. Douglas smiled.  
  
"Maybe, taxmen are indeed strange fellows!"  
  
"Talking about strange, I was nearly hit by a car when I left the hospital tonight, the asshole missed me by an inch or so!" Dogman proclaimed, putting down his bottle with a hard knock.  
  
"Got his plates?" Douglas asked.  
  
"Too dark, the damn fool made me jump in the bushes, right into dog shit!" "The girls did not see plates either"  
  
"Dog shit in the bushes?" "Must have been a big dog?" Douglas joked and smiled at Dogman.  
  
"Big dog, O man, shut up, fell down on it, but I do remember that it was a black car, kind of a 4WD".  
  
"Yeah now I do remember, sure it was a 4WD!"  
  
Dogman stood up almost knocked down the bottle from the table.  
  
"Damn, when I could get that creep in my hands, I will shit on his face!"  
  
Douglas nearly choked in his beer, still looked funny when Dogman stood there in his oversized white shorts, boney knees showing. Dogman used to be thicker, but since he lost his fiancée, a good meal came last on his list of daily needs. Dogmans real name was Michael Marion Jones. His father was a big fan of John Wayne thereof the Marion in his name. But since the accident friends called him Slim. But he simply prefers to be called Dog or Dogman.  
  
Douglas emptied his bottle, gave a loud belch and looked at Dogman, and stood up.  
  
"Have to go Dog, Becca, must be wondering why I am not home yet, don't want to worry her!"  
  
"And don't you worry about that fellow that almost hit you, probably some joyriding kid!"  
  
Dogman gave a sour smile, he looked tired. They gave each other a friendly hug, patted each other on the back.  
  
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Doug, have any plans tomorrow?" Dog asked.  
  
"I think, I will take Becca for a ride to the mountains in my truck, for some fresh air, will do the baby good!"  
  
"Say hello for me will you?" showing Doug to the door.  
  
"Hope the baby will come soon, Becca is stress at times, you know what I mean?"  
  
"Yeah, women, I know, especially pregnant ones, pain in the butt!" Dog said.  
  
"Can't live without them, Dude, man needs to hear some sweet words once in awhile!"  
  
"Yeah right, later dude!" Dog closed the door, he thought about Elizabeth again, sweet Elizabeth. Her blond hair and lovely blue eyes, he always called her his Pheebs, because see looked a bit like that girl from 'Friends", phoebe. One of their favorite TV shows. He sighed.  
  
'How I miss you, baby!' he thought. He went to bed, and fell asleep; on his mind he pretended holding her close in his arms kissing her.  
The next morning 8:32, at the county hospital, room 365.  
Curtains were drawn open. The soft tapping of shoes was heard, someone walking around in the room, the room became brighter and lighter chased the dark spots away.  
  
The man in the bed opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling for a moment, concentrating on his breathing. It was the only sound he heard next to the footsteps. He tried to turn his head, but a sharp pain forced him to close his eyes again.  
  
"Ow!" he grunted.  
  
"Ah, you're awake!" A soft woman's voice said. A shadow came closer.  
  
Grissom opened his eyes again, felt a soft warm hand touch his cheek, it was almost comforting. Now he saw the woman. She looked like an angel; a soft face surrounded by short black curly hair, a mouth with soft full lips, revealing teeth, white as snow. Big light brown eyes looked at him with a fiery passion.  
  
At first he only saw her lips moving, without sound, but the more he concentrated he could understand the words.  
  
"Where am I?" he softly asked, looking at the woman.  
  
"O, blue eyes, I am so glad you woke up, you must be hungry?" she said.  
  
"Where am I?" he asked again. This time, he tried louder. He tried to sit up, but her hand held him down. He felt oozy again.  
  
"Easy now, blue eyes, I will tell you in a second". The woman spoke softly, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
He stared at her, and breathed slowly in and out, seeing her nodding.  
  
"That's right, easy now!"  
  
She stood up from bending down over him, and he saw that she was holding a glass in her hands, she let him sip. The water was cool, tasted somewhat bitter. But it made him feel good.  
  
"You are in St James county hospital, Duchess Town, a man found you in his truck, do you remember him?" she asked slowly. Looking eagerly at Grissom. He did not reply, but gave a worried look.  
  
"Do you know your name?" her eyes looking at him with great expectation.  
  
Grissom, searched his mind, but could not get a grip on his memory. He remembered only bits and pieces. But he did remember the man, a young man, yelling at him than helping him into a truck. But his name???  
  
"I do not know," he said to the woman.  
  
"I.. Remember the young man, but I can not remember my name?"  
  
"Hush now, it will come, better rest now, your family will probably look for you!"  
  
"Family?"  
  
Grissom felt sleepy, passed out.  
The next day,11:18 outside Dogmans house.  
Both girls were dressed in worn out jeans with holes, torn at places their mothers would not want to know, underneath their high school jackets they wore tight T-shirt with all the colours of the rainbow. All to pleasure the boys at school. You had that on their age. Jenny and Pyra stood waiting for their boyfriends to pick them up.  
  
It was Friday, they had to be in school at 10:00 for their first class, but they missed the bus. Jenny solemnly promised her uncle Dog that she would not skip school, even if her father was on holiday in the Bahamas.  
  
"So, what's this deal with Patrick, you asked him yet?" Pyra asked teasing, chewing bubble gum blowing a balloon, letting it pop.  
  
Patrick was the boy in high school, Jenny had a crush on. James Dean type.  
  
"So?" pulling the gum out her mouth into a long strand.  
  
Jenny was combing her long blond, while bending over, so most of her hair was, hanging down, she shook her head back, had had the Tina Turner look for a moment. Then she combed her hair straight to the back again looked at her girlfriend. She sighed.  
  
"He gave me his number but I am chicken shit to call him!"  
  
Jenny bended to her knees, pulled up her jeans a bit, showed Pyra the number written on the inside of her left ankle, Pyra tried to wipe it away wetting her finger, Jenny slapped it away, but the number looked like tattooed on it.  
  
"Permanent marker!" Jenny said, covering her ankle with her trouser again.  
  
"Cool!" she said. Still chewing her bubble gum.  
  
"And even so, Dogman got my mobile, said he is going to keep it for awhile!" Pyra gave her the huh-look.  
  
"Remember the fire, your panties, me and you smoking pot?"  
  
She looked at Pyra, who cursed silently, fanatically chewing her gum. "Whe could use a phone booth?" She claimed looking at her shoes, popping her bubble gum.  
  
"Could, do", Jenny replied. Both suddenly looked up, a car was nearing.  
  
But Jenny noticed that it was not the car Richard and Charlize drove their friends; it was a big black 4WD! And it was clear that it took up speed when the driver saw them. The engine began to roar like a wild animal. His wheels shrieked! Burned rubber!  
  
"Shitting monkeys!" They both cried out in total surprise. Pyra almost choked on her gum. They started to run. Run as fast as they could!  
  
But they were not able to put enough distance between them and the car, which drove relentlessly over stoops, over garbage cans right thru garden fences. No mercy.  
  
Pyra saw Jenny had fallen to the ground behind her. She did not move anymore. The car moved closer and closer!  
  
Then she saw the barrel of a gun, a silencer sticking out of the window. Dark sunglasses behind it!  
  
"Ommigod!, he killed her!" She walked back to Jenny and bowed down shaking her body. She cursed, Pyra breathed heavily. Tears ran down her face. With both hands she pushed hard against her girlfriend's body.  
  
No reaction!  
  
She wanted to drag her girlfriend away. Her whole body was shivering. Sunrays made the car windows flash.  
  
Suddenly she felt a sting on her back, her hands touched her back in a reflex, then her body dropped over, head down, right on Jenny. They both did not move anymore.  
***The story gets hotter, in the next episode, a lot of questions will be revealed, you will get to know what Granny Smith has to do in all this. (Hope I don't spoil the fun by telling this) Grissom will become more involved, but mainly Dogman and Douglas and that mysterious man in the black car will stick out in the story. And, what about the two girls? Are they just victims? *** (Thanx for reading, hope you will enjoy the rest, please R/R)` 


	4. Secrets

Frozen feelings part 4 Secrets  
  
Saturday, 11:33, Dogmans house.  
  
A phone rang two times, than stopped.  
  
Slowly getting out of bed, Dogman yawned, and stretched himself. He sat up. Scratched his head, his whole body still felt numb.  
  
It had been a long time ago that he had slept like a rose this way, ever since he got back from his last delivery trip yesterday, and had to go through all that fuzz with the girls. Pyra who burned herself, the black car that almost hit him. His talk to Douglas.  
  
It all looked like a dream to him. But reality bit him in the butt. He felt something hard under his buttocks, he removed the blanket and looked, saw an empty beer bottle lying there in bed.  
  
He looked at it, closely. It wasn't empty. There was a piece of paper rolled into it. A message in a bottle.  
  
He took it out, rolled it open and read;  
  
"Will contact you, 13:00"  
  
"P.S will put my pizza in the oven!!"  
  
Dogman looked surprised while reading the lines over and over again. The letters were written in thick red ink, and the sentences were underlined thick and red, like teachers use to do when correcting school papers.  
  
He thought that this must be a joke, the girls pulled on him, but he did not recognise the handwriting to be Jenny's. Maybe it was Pyra's! He rolled the letter into a ball and threw it carelessly on the nightstand; not noticing it fell to the floor.  
  
'Silly girls!' he thought. He did not know much about that new teen lingo. 'Must be a secret kind of way to make fun of someone'.  
  
Just as he wanted to walk to the bathroom to take a leak, the phone rang.  
  
"Hell, who might that be?" He glanced at the clock on the wall. Showing 11:45. Picking up the receiver nearly dropping it, he wasn't quite awake yet.  
  
"Hello!" He said yawning.  
  
"Mister Jones, is this you, hello?" A female voice spoke. There was a hissing sound on the background.  
  
"Yes, hello, Jones here, who's this?"  
  
The woman on the other end cleared her throat. " Mister Jones, could I meet you in half an hour at 'Mikes diner', you know, on thirty first street, come alone?" The woman said quickly, in a hurry.  
  
"Could you first tell me your name ma'am, and what this is about, why you're calling. I just woke up and was about to take a leak!" Dogman said a bit agitated playing with the telephone cord.  
  
"Mister Jones, it is of absolute importance that I speak to you as soon as possible, it concerns Jenny!"  
  
"Are you from school, did she skipped class, did she not show up?" Dogman asked concerned, sat straight up on the side of the bed.  
  
There was a pause, he heard the woman mumbling something to someone on the background.  
  
"Hello, wha..?" Before he could end the sentence he heard her speak again.  
  
"No, it's not that, I cannot explain it to you on the phone, please come to Mike's in half an hour, we must not waste time!" The woman said straightforward. He heard she was heavily breathing close to the receiver.  
  
Dogman raised a hand to the sky, sighing. Eyes staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Okay, but give me time to get dressed, I am freezing my ass off here!"  
  
He wanted to put down the receiver but then suddenly put it back to his ear again.  
  
"But, how will I know who you are?" He quickly asked puzzled. Afraid she had hung up already, he heard she was still on, breathing into the receiver.  
  
"Oh, you'll know she said!" The line went dead.  
  
"Yeah, right" Dog said to himself, already with one leg in his pants.  
  
Meanwhile at the same moment, St James hospital.  
  
Grissom sat up in his hospital bed, eating a bowl of soup the nurse had brought him. He ate it with fast scoops, as if he had not eaten anything in years. Slurping.  
  
"See, you like the soup, is my own recipe!"  
  
"Learned to make it from my grandma, she told me it's the best medicine there is!"  
  
He saw the nurse with the angelic face approaching his bed with steady paces, in her hands she was holding a sheet of paper and a pen.  
  
"So, blue eyes, may I call you blue eyes?" She said when she stood next to the bed, smiling. Grissom gave a nod, began to smile too, spoon halfway out of his mouth. She sat down on the bed across Grissom, looking at him, holding the pen tapping it on the paper.  
  
"Okay, honey, there are some things I want to ask you, you do not have to answer if you don't feel like, this is just police procedure, and we want to help you".  
  
"So what are the things you do remember, since you woke up here?" She said with a soft sweet voice. Pen ready to scribble.  
  
Grissom suddenly put his free hand on her hand holding the pen. She startled, looked up surprised. Her eyes stared at Grissoms, he stared back and gave a smile.  
  
"Before you write anything down", he looked at the badge she was wearing, saw her name, "Mabel" he continued, She nodded.  
  
"Could I first ask you something?"  
  
"Sure" she said, "Fire away!" Still surprised. "We have all the time we need!" and she put the paper aside. Grissom released her hand.  
  
"My, name is Gil Grissom".  
  
" I am a CSI" he paused a moment, "And I am on holiday, wanted to see my cousin here in Duchess, Carl Wallace, could I give him a call?"  
  
The nurses eyes widened, looked at him with her mouth open, put a hand to her mouth and smothered a giggle.  
  
"Oh my, don't I feel embarrassed now!" Her face became one big smile, she patted him on his arm. Grissom smiled back, and began finishing up his soup. Slurping. Looking down at his bowl.  
  
"Sure, Gill, I will get you a phone!"  
  
He teased her by not looking at her anymore, from the corners of his eyes he noticed that she quickly stood up, while waving the paper up in the air, walking out the room, turned around for a moment, smiling.  
"My, O, My, told you, my soup works miracles!"  
  
Grissom nodded. 'Thank you Mabel' he thought.  
  
Mikes diner, almost 12:30.  
  
Dogman walked in into Mikes, looked nervously around, seeing truckers and teens sitting at the tables chewing the daily special, sandwiches with eggs and ham. One girl looked like Jenny caught his eyes, and when she saw him staring at her winked at her girlfriend sitting across her both turned to each other they caught up in a whisper and began to giggle. Girls, Dogman thought! Silly creatures.  
  
He walked up to the counter, Mike himself was taking up orders. When he saw Dogman he gave a look of recognition.  
  
"Look what the cat dragged in, Dog, How's hanging?"  
  
"Day, Mike, I am looking for a lady"  
  
"Who isn't?" Mike replied. Gave Dog an observing look. Suddenly cracked a smile.  
  
"I guess Willie wants to come out and play?"  
  
He started to point the fork he was holding at Dogs crotch. Dog looked down. 'Jeez!' His fly was open! Like a child caught playing with fire, he quickly pulled the zipper up. Eyes flashing left and right. Blushing. That's why those girls were giggling!  
  
Suddenly someone tapped him on his shoulder. Still embarrassed, he turned around. He had to look down a bit, to see the little woman standing behind him, wearing a black velvet cap, NY on it. She was totally dressed in a grey suit.  
  
When she tilted her head up to him he recognised her. It was her eyes that gave her away. Eyes he never had forgotten all those years. Stale and grey.  
  
"Mr Jones?" She said. Straight faced. Took him by an arm, leading him to a table way back in the diner. Mike shook his head as he observed them, got back helping an impatient customer, took his order.  
  
Around the same time.Meredith Street.Home of Douglas  
  
"Honey, could you get me some strawberry jam at Wall Mart and maybe some onions and pickles, I am craving!"  
  
Douglas was chewing down a peanut butter sandwich, as he heard Becca, yelling to him out of the bathroom. He had just taken a long relaxing shower, his blond hair was combed straight to the back. He wore a new white shirt and a clean pair of jeans, feeling more human again. He was still in thoughts of all that had happened the day before. He took a sip from his milk. Being back with Becca made him feel homely again but also a bit strange.  
  
"Baby, I hear you, just let me have a bite first!" He answered, took another gulp of milk. His eyes caught a headline in the morning newspaper.  
  
'Police renew to investigate murder of 'Johnson' children'.  
  
Douglas began reading the whole article.  
  
'Yesterday, the NY Police teamed up with their local crime scene investigators to start a new thorough investigation, concerning the killing of Rachel and Ruby Johnson, acclaimed children of Senate Candidate Phillip Johnson. His children had been kidnapped December 20th last year. Douglas shook his head and read the rest of the article.  
  
'Johnson suspects his children to have fallen victims to a ruthless group of kidnappers, active at 5 or more States in the country. Johnson handed over a letter from these alleged kidnappers to local Police the kidnappers had mailed him, claiming $ 2,5 million in cash. When he dropped the money at the place directed by them, he was promised he would see his children back alive at a secret place, police will not reveal name of place. Unluckily the children were found dead, mutilated and chained to....'  
  
Douglas could not read the rest anymore, it all was so gruesome. He began thinking about Becca and her baby. The very thought that something terrible would happen to them gave him the chills.  
  
Suddenly he felt a warm arm embracing him from behind, the smell of roses, wet soft lips on his neck. He smiled.  
  
"What's the matter honey, you look so sad, what are you reading there?"  
  
Becca bowed down over his shoulder, he could feel her warm soft breasts pressing on his shoulder. He turned his head and kissed her on her cheek. She giggled.  
  
"Terrible what happened to those little kids, how can a man do such a thing!" She sighed, snuggled her head closer to Douglas'. He pulled her on his lap. For a moment they looked at each other with a deep longing.  
  
Douglas caressed her long blond hair, Becca was holding the newspaper and began to look at it again. She pouted her lips. Douglas began to give her a big hug.  
  
"Sweety, I could not bare it if anything would happen to you, and the baby!"  
  
He put his hand on her stomach. She gave him a big kiss on his lips. Then they started kissing each other on every spot imaginable. As finally their mouths touched again they lost themselves in a long passionate kiss.  
  
"I, know honey, I know" Becca said breathing heavily.  
  
Back at Mikes diner  
  
The old woman sitting across him at the table at Mikes removed her cap. Hair colored like ashes appeared, combed straight backwards, tied in a ponytail.  
  
Dogman still had a stupid and surprised look on his face. Intensely he looked more closely at the woman sitting before him, staring at him with those determined grey eyes.  
  
"Timothy Jones, if I ever catch you bullying my grandson again, I will personally whip the living daylights out of you, you hear!" It echoed in Dogmans mind.  
  
Suddenly she put a grin on her face, a grin that in someway did not seem in place on her pristine face. The wicked witch of the West! Man did she give them a hard time when they were kids.  
  
Dogman blinked nervously with his eyes, swallowed. His hands folded, like a choirboy ready to make confession. The last person he expected to see was Grandma Markhamm.  
  
She was Wolf's grandmother. As little kids, Douglas and he always played at Wolf's house. 'Before they befriended, Wolf always was their victim of mockery. Most of the time they pushed him around at school just for fun! Wolf always had been a chubby kid.  
  
Wearing those silly glasses, which made his eyes look like little fishbowls. But the older they got, from junior high. Wolf was the one that had all the brains, and had helped them with their homework. Douglas and Dogman turned from 2 little brats into 2 little brats with self respect. The only thing he asked of them was their friendship.'  
  
Wolf had a real lonely childhood, his mother and father died when he was nine. Victims of an unnecessary and very brutal robbery. He did not exactly tell us what job they both had, something in real estate he once had told us. His closest relatives lived on the other side of the continent, never tried to contact him or his grandma. Grandma was all he had, she was responsible for him until he had the age to tie his shoelaces by himself and pay his own rent.  
  
Knowing Wolf better meant meeting grandma too, she always treated us as if we were grown ups. Always rules this and rules that.  
  
She became a kind of a guru to us, but with a negative effect on us kids. Because our parents were to busy working and going out on the town, We kids were left behind into the care of grandma.  
  
As kids we wanted to have fun, but it was no fun being around grandma.  
  
And now grandma was sitting here before Dogman, looking at him as if he was a little kid again that skipped school.  
  
"Are you surprised to see me Timothy?" She asked, with a soft voice. He hated it when she called him that, it made him feel small. Dogman noticed that she looked nervous and tired, but it was barely visible.  
  
But no one had known the woman as he had in his teens, and never had he ever seen her nervous about anything during those years. She was the cool itself. Must be the age he thought.  
  
"Surprised?" he said.  
  
"That is the understatement of the year, no way was I expecting you here granny! Did they release you from the old peoples home, or did you get lost here, can't find your way home?" Douglas began to smile, feeling more confident. Stretched out his right hand and patted her on her shoulder as if she was demented.  
  
WHOOSH!  
  
"I could have expected such an answer from you, Timothy!" She said a bit louder, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. DAMN WAS SHE FAST!  
  
Dogman almost felt as if he was pulled out of his chair. 'Jeez, this woman was strong for her age!' it flashed through his mind. Her face was just inches from his.  
  
"Look, sonny, I did not ask you to come over here to chit chat, what I am going to tell you is a matter of live and death, a killer got Jenny and her friend, and that is no joke I am telling you, so grow up!" She spilled the words at him like a machine gun!  
  
"Killer.got Jenny, what the hell are you talking about?" Dogman yelled confused, with puffing breath.  
  
"Grandma, what in Lords name are you telling me, are you pulling my leg?" He yelled.  
  
Grandma suddenly looked around and saw that people were looking up from their meals staring at the two of them, curious, question marks written on their faces. She released her grasp from Dogmans shirt, sat down and sighed.  
  
"Please don't make a scene, Timothy, excuse me for being rude. Relax, but promise me to listen carefully!' She answered in a cool tone, nodded to people around her who got back to eating and their own conversations. She looked pleadingly at Dogman.  
  
Dogman, relaxed, looking in wonder, stared back at grandma. He felt like a little boy again, standing on trial, ready to be punished.  
  
"What I am going to tell you will sound somewhat complicated. But I will get straight to the point. I will try not to get into details to much, but I will be honest!" She looked at Dogman and waited until he gave her an acknowledging nod.  
  
"Jenny and her friend are being held captured at this moment, somewhere out in the woods!" Dogman wanted to say something, but grandma hushed him by raising a hand.  
  
"You ask yourself probably why, when, how? I guess you probably found some kind of message when you got up this morning?" she paused, saw that Dogman nodded.  
  
'The bottle, Ommigod!' He thought! Chills began running down his spine. Bad news!  
  
"But I do not want you to worry, we got full control over the situation, you see. With 'we' I mean the agency I am working for, I correct myself, I was working for!" We still are active, but most secretively, with no connection to the government.  
  
"Do you remember, back in 1990, the year that your sister had that accident? Well, I do not want to upset you but that accident wasn't an accident!"  
  
She paused again, looked at Dogman with empathy, saw that his eyes became wet. Talking about the accident always became painful for Dogman.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Dogman mumbled he saw grandma nodding.  
  
"Not an accident, but what.?"  
  
Now grandma patted him on his shoulder. Dogman shook his head; put his head in his hands in disbelief. He grunted.  
  
"That year S.U.M.A, my agency was then called, intercepted a message that a certain senator had a contract on his name. With a contract I mean; plans to assassinate him. "At first we didn't know which senator it was going to be, but a fellow agent who one of my best friends tracked down this hit man and before she died reported us his name!" Grandma sighed.  
  
Dogman took her hands in his; both were looking down on the table between them. He felt it was going to become very ugly. For a moment they sat in silence.  
  
"Agent Brighton, my late colleague, found out that this so-called 'Pizza man', the hit mans codename, was going to assassinate Senator Philip Johnson on September 31 in Oakland, but couldn't precisely say at what time the hit would be executed!"  
  
"On that date Elizabeth told me she was going to visit family she hadn't seen for quite awhile, because of some family dispute!" Dogman suddenly spoke out, breathing heavily, desperately looking at grandma.  
  
"What has Elisabeth's accident have to do with all this? She told me her family lived here in Duchess, Oakland is on the other side of the State?" Dogman began to shiver.  
  
"Let me finish!" Grandma replied gently. She sat up more straight in her chair, clenched her hands together, and moved her head closer to Dogman. He looked at her wide-eyed.  
  
"Did Elizabeth ever tell you more about her family? Did she give you any names of the relatives she was going to meet?" Grandma gave Dogman an intense look. Dogman shook his head desperately. Then he suddenly stood up, eyes looking shocked!  
  
"Elizabeth told me her uncle Phil would meet her at Mary's Restaurant! She had no car to get there, and mine was at the garage for a tune up!"  
  
"But she told me that her uncle had arranged a car for her! So, I wouldn't have to worry".  
  
"She could pick it up at Larry's garage, just a few blocks from were her apartment was.  
  
"Because my little sister was staying at her place, she decided that she first would drop her off by her parents, so I could pick her up later that evening".  
  
"But she called me up one more time to tell me that she would love to take Jennifer-Marie with her because her aunt and uncle had kids too, and it would be nice for JM to meet other kids!" Dogman ranted.  
  
Grandma began to shake her head in acknowledgement, her eyes saddened. She moved over to Dogman. Together they sat down. Dogman kept shaking his head.  
  
"Please don't tell me this senator was Elizabeth's uncle, PLEASE DON'T!"  
  
He almost broke out in tears! Grandma put an arm around Dogman, as she did so he really began to cry softly.  
  
"I know the truth hurts, yes, he was her uncle and the reason that she never talked about him was because he has always been connected to infamous underground figures. Real scum of the earth!" But his part in all this is more complicated, even I don't know all the details.  
  
"Elizabeth borrowed her uncle's car, it's his private car, and the car had been wired. "Easy for any hit man to track down".  
  
"It was an unfortunate incident that his and your car both was at the same garage!"  
  
"Naming Oakland was a decoy, too late we deciphered that Duchess was the real place!"  
  
"I am sorry; I did not tell you this earlier!" Dogman was crying in her arms. Did not seem to hear anything she was saying anymore.  
  
"But now we have to worry about Jenny and her friend, they are in great danger now!"  
  
"Ommigod Jenny!" He suddenly reminded.  
  
"What is his deal in kidnapping her?" He asked, granny hushed him whispered to him that she will explain.  
  
"Tell me what the message or note said you've found!" Grandma sounded determined.  
  
Dogman looked up at her and sniffed. Dogman told her what the note said, grandma gave a worried look. The clock in the diner showed 12:57!  
  
"Now it becomes time that we nail that SOB, I have got some scores to settle with him!"  
  
Grandma took Dogmans chin in her hands; He looked at her through wet eyes. Than he saw she swept her hair aside On her left temple a deep scar revealed, shaped like a triangle. That must have been made with a very sharp object!  
  
"A present he gave me!" "Looks like a piece of pizza, doesn't it?" Grandma said.  
  
Dogmans mouth fell wide open!  
Out in the woods. a cabin. 13:00  
The sun was shining brightly through a ceiling of leaves, trees stood close to each other like soldiers side by side, motionless. Awaiting orders, for a sudden attack. A soft wind was blowing, branches moved, leaves danced up in a swirl. Taking with them the smell of green dew, wet and sweet. Birds chirped.  
  
'Thumb' A door closed to a wooden cabin startled some birds. Dressed all in black a big heavy man, black hair tied in a ponytail, strode to his car. 


End file.
